Boat wheelbarrow



A. A. BJORK BOAT WHEELBARROW Feb. 26, 1946.

Original Filed Aug. 12, 1943 INVENTOR.

em A. BJOR/fl Patented Feb. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOAT WHEELBARROW Albin A. Bjork, Ashland, Wis.

Original application August 12, 1943, Serial No.

498,354, now Patent No. 2,361,592, dated October 31, 1944. Divided and this application April 26, 1944, Serial No. 532,838

1 Claim.

This application is a division of my application filed August 12, 1943, Serial No. 498,354, now Patent No. 2,361,592, dated October 31, 1944.

The invention has for an object to enable the ready handling and portage of small boats, such as canoes and the like, by enabling the quick conversion of the boat into a barrow-like device having a wheel at one part upon which the boat may be rested, and handles at the opposite part which may be grasped to push the boat about upon the wheel.

It is a special aim of the invention to arrange this device in such manner that it may be readily used in placing a boat in inverted position upon the roof of an automobile, as well as enabling its ready portage by rolling it upon the ground from place to place.

A special aim of the invention is to provide a novel means of mounting a barrow wheel upon canoes and boats in a folding arrangement whereby the boat wheel will not interfere with use of the boat for ordinary purposes, such as fishing,- or paddling in the ordinary way, and so that the wheel will not be a conspicuous or objectionable projection upon the' boat when the latter is in use upon the water. Another important aim of the invention is to provide a novel combination of paddle, boat and barrow wheel in such manner that the three coact to provide a unitary structure which may be rolled about upon the wheel.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure. 1 is a view showing the combined boat and barrow ready for portage, but inverted upon the roof of a passenger automobile shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the manner of emplacement or removal of the boat upon such vehicle.

Figure 3 is a view showing a further stage in the removal, or an earlier stage in its emplacement.

Figure 4 shows the manner of moving or porting the boat by rolling it upon the barrow wheel.

Figure 5 shows the manner of connecting the paddles to the body of the boat for use as barrow handles.

Figure 6 is a side elevation partly in section of the bow of a boat upon which my invention is embodied.

Figure 7 is a detail of the mounting bracket involved in the construction of Figure 6.

There is illustrated a boat hull 10 of conventional form, in the present instance having a flat stern ll, although my invention is also applicable to canoes having both ends of the same shape as the bow l2 shown in the present boat. The bow of the boat in the present instance is constructed with a small deck l3, which due to the converging of the gunwales I4 is triangular in shape.

In Figure 6 there is shown the mounting of the wheel, in which a bracket plate l5 has mounted thereon two triangular plates l6 arranged in parallel relation, each having a bearing [1 in which an axle i8 is. secured arranged to carry a wheel 19 trunnioned therein, in the conventional way. At its rear edge, as viewed in full lines in Figure 6 and '7, the plate I5 is formed with hinge knuckles 26 at each side, and a hinge butt member 21 has a knuckle portion 22 set between the ears 23 and a common pintle engaged therethrough, as shown. The butt plate 2| is suitably apertured to receive screw fastenings or the like, and as shown in Figure 6 is secured to the rear edge portion of the deck l3 in the bow I2 of the boat, in such manner that the plate [5 may be swung into position to rest fiat upon the deck l3 to which it may be secured in any conventional way, if desired, by releasable fasteners 24. By raising the forward portion of the bracket plate l5 from the position shown in full lines in Figure 6, this plate together with the wheel may be swung rearwardly and downwardly, to the position dotted in Figure 6, Wherein the wheel lies below the deck and plate 15 extends pendently, as dotted.

Paddles 25 are provided, which may be of conventional form, and on each side of the boat at the stern, oar locks 26 are mounted, while forwardly of the stem 2. distance and secured upon the inner sides of the brackets 21 are mounted, one only being shown, these brackets being retained permanently upon the sides of the boat, and being arranged for releasable engagement with the blade of the paddle when desired. The bracket, in the present instance, at 21, is substantially in the form of an inverted U, the arms being of sufiicient length to receive a substantial part of the blade 28 of the paddle, one arm being secured against the side of the boat as shown, in any approved manner, while the other is provided with a thumb-screw 29, or

the like, which may be screwedinwardly against as shown in Figure 4, and the rearwardly project? ing ends of the handles of the paddles are grasped.

by the porter, as also shown in Figure 4. The device may be thus pushed forwardly upon the wheel I9 and guided in the same, manner as a wheel-barrow.

In order to place the boat upon a vehicle, it

may be inverted after the proper positioning of the wheel and handles of the paddles, and "in the case of a car with long sloping back, the bow end may be swung into position so that the wheel may rest upon the slopingback of the vehicle, as shownin Figure 3, after which it may be pushed forwardly until thegunwales rest upon the roof of the car. In order to avoid marring the finish of the automobile, a common form of luggage brackets may be provided upon the top of the car to support the boat, and in Figures 1 and 2, there are illustrated members? of such luggage carrier, consisting in two transverse bars 30, having suction cups 3| on their lower sides which may be removably secured upon the surfaces of the car. in the desired positions inthe manner familiar in the use of such suction cups.

In such case, after the positioning of the boat asishown in Figurexti, it may be rolled .forwardly until the wheel passes over both bars. 30, sub- 10 verted until its bow is supported in the wheel l9,

stantially to the position shown in Figure 2, after which the rear portion of the boat may be lowered until the gunwales rest upon the bars 30, as shown in Figure 1. If preferred, the bow end portion of the boat may be raised and swung into position with the wheel resting upon the hood portion of the vehicle, then the stern portions swung around and over the body of the vehicle while the boat is inverted to the position shown in Figure 1. In order to remove the boat, the operations for its emplacement may be reversed, as will be understood. Other procedure for emplacement and removal of the boat from a vehicle may suggest themselves to those accustomed to handling boats and canoes, as will be appreciated;

While I havev disclosed my invention in detail in the best rons known to me, it will, nevertheless, be understood that this is purely exemplary, and that various modifications in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts r'nay be made therein without departing from. the spirit of the invention except as more specifically limited in the appended claim, wherein I claim:

In combination, a boat hull having a forward -deck, awh'eel mount complem'ent'al to the deck for support of said hull at times, said wheel mount being positioned in the medial longitudi' nal axis of the hull and deck, and comprising a hinge leaf connected-to an edge of the deck, a plate hingedly connected to said hinge Iea'f, securing means between said deck and said plate, said securing means being releasable to permit said plate to be swung 'to a position clearof the deck, said plate having a pair of spaced parallel bearing plates, and 'a wheel revolubly mounted between said bearingplates.

. ALBIN A. BJORK. 

